Cebu City BPLO to deploy 16 teams to monitor establishments, bars amid slight rise of cases

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) will be deploying more personnel out on the streets to monitor the implementation of health protocols following a slight increase in the daily cases of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

BPLO head, Lawyer Jared Limquiaco, said in a phone conference that they have formed 16 teams with five members each to be deployed every morning and evening on shifts to monitor establishments.

The intensified monitoring will start at the end of this week most probably Friday, June 18, 2021.

Limquiaco said this is also part of the new protocol that the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) would like to implement which is wearing face masks even inside restaurants, cafes, bars, and cafeterias.

READ: Cebu City EOC: Wear masks even inside resto-bar

“Lisod gyod siya pero kinahanglan maningkamot gyod sila. Magmask sila before kaon og inom. Nya ig human og kaon or inom, ibalik napud ang mask. Ang nahitabo man gud karon, ig sulod sa restaurant, ihubo ang mask dili na ibalik. Ig mohawa na dira pa nila ibalik. The entire time nga naa sila sa restaurant wala sila nagmask,” said Limquiaco.

On June 15, 2021, the city recorded 55 new cases of the COVID-19. The day before that there were 74 new cases of the virus.

The two days showed a slight surge of daily cases compared to the past weeks when new cases averaged between 20 to 30 per day.

Although the surge is not attributed to restaurants and bars alone, the EOC has already intensified the implementation of the health protocols at these establishments because of the high risk of transmission here.

Limquiaco urged establishments to assign a person to remind the customers to wear their masks when not consuming food or drinks so as to maintain the health protocols.

“Mag-assign tag tawo nga magsige og remind sa atong customers. Hasol kaayo siya paminawn nga imbes magkaon ta magsige na nuon tag mask, mas hasol paminawn nga mobalik tag MGCQ nya moclose ta. So mag assign gyod tag personnel para macontrol nato ang cases,” he said.

As of now, 245 establishments have been issued the special liquor permit with six of them already garnering first offense penalty for violating the social distancing protocol.

So far, none of the six first offense violators has violated health protocols again. The BPLO has been constantly monitoring the six establishments as well.     /rcg